Salvation Army Advertisement
| Salvation Army "Heroes" Campaign |
Purpose and Audience: This postcard advertisement is intended to inform and
promote volunteer work in the Heroes with a Heart Salvation Army campaign. The
audience could be people actively seeking to volunteer for a charity or the
general public. The focus is on attracting volunteers for the campaign and
informing the audience of the impact the campaign has on the community.
Although this information product was found within an online article about
charities, it could possibly be distributed to community centres, schools, shopping
centres, etc. Because of its basic
language, “become somebody’s hero TODAY”, the postcard is able to speak to the
majority of society on a number of media platforms.
Design Features: The layout consists of a simple split design where the audience is able
to respond to the call to action of the Salvation Army but also indulge in some
light-hearted fun with the cute little boy dressed up as a hero. The colours
red and white are consistent with the logo and heritage of the Salvation Army
make it easily recognisable for those already familiar with the charity. The
type is easy to read and projects specific emotions at their appropriate cues,
e.g. “Heroes Wanted” is in a bold print,
normally used for a sign seeking a lost possession acting as a fun opening to
gain the audience’s attention. This type differs from the smaller text at the
bottom end of the page, which is still clear to read, but bears a more serious
tone. The language used in the text is basic to gain maximum reach within the
community but also connotes excitement. For example, “the journey begins...”
and “volunteers like you” present a positive tone for the reader and increases
the likelihood readers wanting to volunteer.
In the language included and
not included in the text, we can see the postcard advertising rather than
informing about the volunteer campaign. In the two sentences written at the
bottom, there is no clear explanation of what would be involved in the
volunteer work. Adding a fact about the amount of members they currently have
adds some pressure to the audience to join this ‘club’. The fact used isn’t
relevant to the audience’s understanding of the campaign’s objective.
Overall Impact and User Engagement:
This advertisement succeeds
in functionality and usability but lacks in the reliability of information. It
achieves the goals of an advertisement, gaining the audience’s attention and
maintaining a level of interest, and also is consistent with the tone and
message being relayed. However, readers seeking substantial information about
the volunteer work are directed to a phone number for further details. The call
to action is weaker towards the end of the advertisement because the message
eventually fizzles out leaving the audience with a vague understanding.